Every year, International Midwives Day and International Nurses Day are celebrated in the month of May to mark the contributions of midwives and nurses. You! takes a look...
Every year, International Midwives Day and International Nurses Day are celebrated in the month of May to mark the contributions of midwives and nurses. You! takes a look...
Across the globe, doctors occupy a sacred place where the diagnosis, management and treatment of illness is concerned. However, the fact remains that without paramedics a doctor can accomplish little in terms of proper and professional healthcare delivery.
When we talk about paramedics, nurses and midwives are vital resources of the healthcare system. A midwife is a responsible and accountable professional who works with women to give them the necessary support, care and advice during pregnancy, labour and the postpartum period, to conduct births and to provide care for the newborn and the infant. This care includes preventative measures, the promotion of normal birth, the detection of complications in mother and child, the accessing of medical care or other appropriate assistance and the carrying out of emergency measures.
On the other hand, a nurse is generally perceived as a caring soul. Nurses help in the treatment, safety and recovery of chronically or acutely ill or injured people and perform a wide range of non-clinical functions necessary to the delivery of healthcare service. They are available with the patient round the clock, checking on their health status from time to time, making notes, keeping compliance regarding their medicines and also handling life-threatening emergencies in a wide range of healthcare settings.
Keeping the important roles of nurses and midwives in mind You! takes a look at the significance of International Day of the Midwife (IDM) and International Nurses Day (IND).
Honouring midwives...
Globally, International Day of the Midwife is celebrated on 5th of May every year to commemorate and increase awareness about the contribution of midwives towards the patients all over the world. The year’s theme was ‘Midwives, Mothers and Families: Partners for Life!’. Midwives everywhere understand that by working in partnership with women and their families they can support and help them to make better decisions about what they need to have for a safe and fulfilling birth. The fact is that the best partnership for a pregnant woman is with a qualified midwife!
This day is celebrated in more than 50 countries to ensure the universal coverage of the maternity care by fulfilling the need of estimated (350 000) number of midwives globally.
In the late 1980s, the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) established the idea of the ‘International Day of the Midwife’ following suggestions and discussion among Midwives Associations. However, the initiative was formally launched in 1992. Various events are organized on this day in order to support ‘Safe Motherhood’ as well as promote the midwifery profession throughout the world by increasing the awareness about their contributions.
IND - a look into the past
International Nurses Day (IND) is celebrated every year all around the world on 12th of May to commemorate the birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale and to mark the contributions of nurses in the healthcare system. This year’s theme was ‘Nursing: A voice to lead - Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals’.
Nurses Day was first proposed by Dorothy Sutherland (an officer from the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare) in the year 1953 and it was first celebrated by the International Council of Nurses (ICN) in the year 1965. However, it was officially declared in 1974 that 12th of May will be celebrated every year as IND - on the birth anniversary of the founder of modern nursing, Florence Nightingale. International Council of Nurses established this day to celebrate and highlight the importance of nurses’ role in providing the best healthcare services.
Annually, all around the world, promotional and educational activities are organized on this day to address various issues related to the field of nursing. The theme of celebration is selected based on nurses and environment, handling poor, poverty issues and many more. In many countries like Australia, United States, Canada and etc, IND is celebrated as a weeklong event, referred as National Nurses Week.
Stats show...
Statistics show that approximately 350 000 women die every year due to pregnancy hazards or during child birth; around 2 million newborn babies die right after their birth or within 24 hours of birth and around 2.6 million of the cases are stillbirths. This situation can be tackled if midwives are trained on a larger scale especially in the rural areas. Not only midwives can help an expectant woman but can also create awareness regarding family planning.
An estimate shows that there is a shortage of more than 1.5 million nurses in Pakistan. According to the Economic Survey of Pakistan 2015-2016, the number of registered doctors in the country is 175,223 and dentists 15,106, while the number of nurses and qualified health visitors is 90,276 and 15,325 respectively. This estimate shows that only one doctor is available for 1,073 patients and one dentist for 12,447, while only one nurse is available for over 1,900 patients.
The fact remains that both midwives and nurses are an important part of the healthcare system and it is high time that some serious actions are taken, focusing on their training and well-being.
